Well oil pressure checks out : 4.5psi to 65psu. So the issue is past the oil pump and oil passage is restricted on the way to ban1. But where? I check the check valve behind the solenoid. Anyone has a inside block oil passage diagram? Or any suggestions? Thx!!

Is it possible to have messed up the vanos while pressing them using the Beissan procedure? But why would it have ran fine for 500 miles? Loosing sleep over this nonsense ;-(

Have you checked pressure at idle?

Its not something I recommend lightly and please do your research before following this advice!!!!!

Adding half a liter of gearbox oil to the engine oil could help, it has more powerful detergent power. Run the engine up to temp and for a few minutes when warm, reving it (and ideally in gear driving so the vanos is put to work) then drain and throw the oil away.

I NEVER TRIED IN A BMW ENGINE, DON'T KNOW IF SOME PART WOULDN'T TOLERATE IT, PLEASE RESEARCH THIS BEFORE TRYING.

Safe version, check on the vanos solenoid and vanos. You could also try some oil cleaning additives (never tried those)

THX for the advise! I d like to find the diagram of the oil port channels and how the lifter and vanos are fed as this clog is affecting both. It s in the block or the head but somehow affecting bank1 the far side from the oil feed.

I couldn't find the schematic, but googling I did find this and remember you said the oil pressure was 4.5 to 6.5PSI. 4.5 should be the limit according to the bentley manual (regulated pressure).

Reading the first part of the picture :
https://www.carmanualsonline.info/im...960_2821-8.png

This says that when max pressure is applied in default mode, the vanos goes full retard.

Did you do the test cold or warm?
Did you get pressure at idle?

if you did get 6.5PSI cold its suprising, warm its alarming. Too much pressure is just as bad as too little pressure and that would point to the pressure relief valve not relieving pressure (stuck closed).

The test was done wgile warm, 4.5psi at idle and 65psi at rpm.

Sorry, I confused myself between Bar and PSI. 65 PSI is good enough (Bentley says 66Psi) but 4.5 is too low at idle (7Psi)

So you have an oil presure problem. Its what you expected but now you know. if you rev very slightly the engine and get it to 7Psi (fast idle), do you have the noise that brought you to this?

The oil pressure light never turned on. But yeah the tapping and P0012 came on at the same time and are always present, cold/warm/hot and at any RPM. Like I said the pump is brand new and the oil sensor is located on the output of the oil filter housing for it to come on in case it gets clogged to alarm the driver. So the oil filter, housing, pump, pressure valve and oil passages to the sensor are prob ok. Issue is between bank1 and bank2 or bank1 and oil filter housing but dunno know how it s routed.... Thanks again!

I had no luck finding routing information, but at this point, either you dismantle the engine or try some cleaner in the oil. I see no other course of action.

yeah that or maybe swap the Vanos on bank1 to bank2 and see if bank2 starts tapping... but I m not sure if the oil for the lifter is dependent from Vanos oil passages ..